Footwear



July 11, 1939. WARD, 2,165,740

FOOTWEAR Filed Oct. 23, 1957 INVENTOR. Wfl Wm ATTORNEY.

Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTWEAR Eugene B.Ward, West Springfield, Mass.

Application October 23, 1937, Serial No. 170,637

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in footwear and is directed moreparticularly to improvements in means adapted to be associated with ashoe for supporting a certain part of. the

5 foot, namely the metatarsal arch.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision ofa simple yet efficient support for a certain part of the foot in allnatural positions thereof and according to this invention, the supportprovided therefor is adapted to support the foot both when the foot is.relatively fiat, as in standing, and when it is bent or flexed, as inwalking.

Broadly the device of this invention includes a relatively-stationaryshank member and a mov able member which is actuated by the sole of theshoe so that when the sole of the shoe is bent, as it is in walking, themovable member is urged upwardly so as to be as closely adjacent 20 thepart of the foot it is desired to support as it is when the sole issubstantially fiat, as it is in standing.

According to the preferred form of the invention, the device includesbut two parts which are so connected together and so arranged that onepart is moved relative to the other by the bending or flexing of thesole of the shoe as the wearer bends the foot. In this way thesupporting part automatically moves with the shoe and foot so as toautomatically assume a supporting position at all times.

The device of the invention in its broad aspects is adapted for use inconnection with shoes of all types and sizes. While it may vary somewhatin form in order to be adapted for use in different shoes, it isessentially a two-part device arranged as will later be described and itis simple in construction so as to be economical to manufacture yet itis positive and efficient in operation.

Various other novel features and advantages of the invention will bemore fully hereinafter referred to in connection with the accompanyingdescription of the invention in the form at present preferred andreference will be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of the device of the invention with dot-dash linesto indicate the preferred position thereof with relation to a foot;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevational View of the forward end portion ofthe device shown in Fig. 1, with dot-dash lines to indicate thepreferred position thereof with relation to the sole of. a shoe;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the device shown in Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the part shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view with dot-dash lines to indicate thepreferred position of the device with relation to the shoe and foot;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the device of the invention;and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view to illustrate that the device maybe curved or arched for its supporting function.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fullydescribed.

A human foot, represented by dot-dash lines F in Fig. 1, has metatarsalheads, as indicated by H. The metatarsal arch, the region of the footwhich I desire to support, is just rearwardly of the heads H.

A shank member is represented by 2 and this is for extending upwardlyadjacent the longitudinal arch of the foot.

With respect to Figs.

shank commonly found in shoes.

The shape thereof may vary but it preferably has a forward end portioncurved slightly as shown in Figs. 2

and 5.

A support member 4 is hingedly connected to the member 2 and the mannerof connection may take various forms.

In the form shown, the

shank 2 is provided with a pair of slots 6 located inwardly from theforward end thereof and the rear end of the part 4 is provided withoffset lugs such as 8 which extend into the slots, as shown more clearlyin Fig. 3.

The parts 2 and 4 are of such lengths and are so hingedly connected thatthe forward end portion of part 4 is forward of the forward extremity ofpart 2. Thus, the forward end portion of part 4 is adapted to rest onthe sole portion of the shoe indicated by X in Fig. 2.

Thus, it will be seen, as the sole X bends, as it does in walking, thesole, being in engagement with the said forward end portion of part 4moves the latter upwardly against the metatarsal arch of the foot.

and 6.

This form of the device is adapted to be built in the shoe and 2'represents the shank which all shoes must have.

It will be noted that this is somewhat longer than the shank member 2which is a part of the appliance shown in Figs. 1-4 inclusive, althoughthe forward end thereof is located at the same point with relation tothe sole X of foot F, as shown in Fig. 5. S in Fig. 5 represents a shoein which the device is built.

A support member 4', similar to part 4 previously described, is hingedlyconnected to the upper side of part 2. Again this hinged connection maytake various forms but, for purposes of description, slots 6 in plate 2'and lugs 8 on plate 4 are shown in Fig. 6 with the parts arranged asdescribed with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

The usual shank built unto a shoe has a strengthening rib and this isshown at 3 in Fig. 6. It is to be understood, however, such a rib is notessential to the efiicient operation of my device.

With either form, the support extends beyond the forward end of theshank so as to be in operative engagement with the sole X of the shoe.Then when the sole is bent, the support member, 4 or 4', is movedupwardly on its hinged connection.

As indicated in Fig. 7, the member 4 or 4' is preferably somewhatspoon-shaped. This is to conform more or less to the shape of themet-atarsal arch of the foot.

While I have described the invention with great detail, what it isdesired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a two-part device for use in a shoeto support the metatarsal arch of the foot comprising in combination, anelongated shank member adapted to rest on and extend along thelongitudinal arch of the sole of a shoe with its forward marginal edgedisposed just rearwardly of the metatarsal arch of the foot when theshoe is worn, a convex plate member of rigid metallic material havingits rear portion overlying the forward part of said shank member and itsforward portion projecting forwardly beyond said forward marginal edgeof the shank member so as to extend under the metatarsal arch of thefoot when the shoe is worn, and a hinge connection between said rearportion of the convex member and the forward part of the shank member,all adapted and arranged whereby when the sole of the shoe is flexed asin walking it causes the convex member to move upwardly relative to theshank member against the metatarsal arch of the foot.

2. As a new article of manufacture a two-part device for use in a shoeto support the metatarsal arch of the foot comprising in combination, anelongated shank member adapted to rest on and extend along thelongitudinal arch of the sole of a shoe with its forward marginal edgedisposed just rearwardly of the metatarsal arch of the foot when theshoe is worn, said shank member being provided with a transverse slotadjacent its forward end, and a plate member of rigid metallic materialhaving its rear portion overlying the forward part of said shank memberand its forward portion projecting forwardly beyond said forwardmarginal edge of the shank member so as to extend under the metatarsalarch of the foot when the shoe is worn, the rear marginal edge portionof the plate member being offset and inserted into said slot, alladapted and arranged whereby when the sole of the shoe is flexed as inwalking it causes the plate member to move upwardly relative to theshank member against the metatarsal arch of the foot.

EUGENE B. WARD.

